The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
The Spalding and District Table Tennis League (sponsored by Vital Recruitment) closed out 2015 with the Paddy Palgrave Hard Bat trophy – and this year top seed Sasha Martin emerged victorious.
This event sees players using the basic bats which they all used when they first played table tennis, with entries split into four groups with a seed in each.
Each match was held over just two ends to 11, with three points awarded for a win and one for a draw. The top two from each group went forward to the quarter-finals.
Martin was seeded one, while defending champion John Gilbert was two, Phil Chandler three and Richard Hammond, last year’s runner-up, four.
In Group A, Gilbert remained unbeaten, but dropped an end to lead with 19/21, while Christian Green was one win behind on 16. Tony Dorey and Joe Beadle shared third spot on 14.
Seed Chandler, in Group B, also dropped one end to Colin Vertigan as they shared top place on 19 ahead of George Wallis on 15. Chandler went on to win a play-off 2-0 to claim the winner’s position in the quarter-finals.
Martin won Group C with 17, remaining unbeaten but dropping two ends for draws, ahead of Daniel Dorey (16), who lost to Martin, and Keith Davey on 14.
In Group D, the seeded Hammond could only manage third place behind Martyn Green on 16, having lost one and drawn one, and Guntars Briedes (15), who was unbeaten but with three draws.
The quarters saw Gilbert defeat Briedes 11-6 11-8, whole Dorey won against Chandler (11-9, 11-8), Martin took his tie with Vertigan 12-10 11-7, and Martin Green beat son Christian 11-7 15-13.
Dorey then won his semi against Gilbert 11-8, 11-8 to set up a return against Martin, who beat Green 11-7, 11-6.
The final saw Martin take a close fought first end 11-9 but Dorey levelled with the same score. The first two points of the tie-break, with alternate serves, were shared but Martin took the next two to claim the title and become the third name on the trophy in as many years.
The league returns on January 6.
